North Creek Forest is a newly protected watershed and park in Bothell. There are multiple trails here most of them are user trails and don’t quite fit the standards of single track we normally adhere to. There are roughly 4 trails here starting from a central point past the highlands on Beardslee where the road dead ends near the freeway. The first trail is the best preserved and leads directly uphill from a condemned house. There is a tree down from the snow at the start of the trail but once crossed the path is obvious. Pay no heed to the no trespassing signs. They are a holdover from prior property owners unlike the debacle with Shelton View Forest. There is a lovely set of conifers and ferns lining the way up hill. The trail dead ends in the neighborhood behind Maywood hills elementary and can either be ended there or turned into a loop with more of the trails. Head right from the trail end on 108th to the Junction of 108th Ave NE and 204th place NE.
There a little more rugged trail can be followed or slid downhill as it is often muddy. The trail follows a set of pipelines that appear broken or just in poor shape. This side of the Forest is more Big Leaf Maples and salmon berry. The trail can be approached from the end of the road as well crossing over the chain gate next to the freeway. Eventually after crossing the creek you head uphill. This is the intersection of the third path as well which is picked up as a spur to the right. This trail leads through some muddy paths that drop to a creek and crosses an old tire and a bridge up to Canyon Park Jr. High where the path is more clear and has some nice benches and a stairway to nowhere. On the weekend this is a good spot to do a couple laps on the track to extend your trail run.
Finally the 4th path I have identified other than the main art and foliage trail constructed by the Friends of North Creek Forest and college students leads from a decommissioned road up to a natural archway of trees I like to call the cathedral grove because they all run together forming a forested ceiling. There is a tree down there as well but it’s easily crossed. Off trail walking is ok through there as well to connect to other less clear paths but be sure not to contribute to the erosion of banks.
The website for Friends of North Creeks Forest has some additional info, maps, and volunteer parties in addition to Forest bathing excursions. Shinrin Yoku or Forest bathing is part of the Japanese National Health System and involves mindfulness exercises in a Forest settting. The practice of this has shown to decrease stress hormones regulate blood pressure and heart rate and improve mood in multiple peer reviewed studies.
Anyways I do a loop of all three many days and trail running tends to clock in around about 5 miles. Most of it is in lovely mature second growth forest and if you are on the east side like me you don’t even have to drive. The one problem is that freeway noise is loud next to the trails so it is hard to feel like you are in a true natural setting.
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